A few months ago, my coworker convinced me that it was a good idea to teach a food photography class at our alma mater. The food photography class is this weekend. The weekend where I’m sick with the flu, lost my voice, and toting around a box of tissues everywhere I go. Perfect timing, of course. To make matters worse, I actually promised I’d be bringing in baked goods for the students to photograph. So, not only do I have to figure out some coherent narrative/framework behind my photography process, I also have to bake these damned kids some goods too! Can I please have a break over here?
 
A break like these chocolate truffles, perhaps?

 

 

I knew I wanted to make something that would feed a lot of people, but also would be quick and easy — ideally requiring only one bowl and ingredients I already had around the house. As I was looking for inspiration, I was hesitant to even flip through the Tartine cookbook. Tartine, while a lovely cookbook (and an even lovelier bakery in San Francisco), has recipes that require a lot of work and prep. Exactly the opposite of what I was looking for. Which is why this recipe for dark chocolate truffles caught me by surprise:

 

 

A closer look at the recipe revealed that it literally only required a pan, a bowl, a spatula, and a spoon to make these beautiful bon bons. I didn’t even need to pull my KitchenAid Mixer from the top shelf of our cupboard (by the way, worst place to put a KitchenAid mixer, those things weigh over 20lbs). The ingredients — chocolate, butter, cream and a touch of corn syrup — are readily available in every serious baker’s pantry. All of which combine to make the most decadent, melt-in-your-mouth truffle I’ve ever eaten. When rolled in cocoa powder and confectioner’s sugar, it looks like the kind of truffle people pay $5 a pop to eat at fancy bakeries and chocolate shops. All sounds too good to be true, right? 
 
Nope. Here’s the recipe. You can thank me later. Enjoy!
 
 
 
 
 
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Get the Recipe: Tartine Bakery’s Chocolate Truffles

Servings: 45 one-inch truffles
Author: Michelle Lopez
(5 stars) 1 review
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Ingredients

  • 1 pound bittersweet chocolate, very coarsely chopped
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup cocoa powder, in a shallow bowl

Instructions
 

  • Place the 1 pound bittersweet chocolate in a heatproof mixing bowl, making sure it is chopped into very small, coarsely chopped pieces. If you have larger pieces, you'll have trouble melting the chocolate properly!
  • In a small saucepan, combine 2/3 cup heavy cream and 1 tablespoon light corn syrup and heat to just under a boil. Remove from heat and pour immediately over the chocolate, letting the mixture sit for a minute or two. Stir with a rubber spatula in a circular motion until all the chocolate has melted. Add 5 tablespoons butter and stir until it is incorporated.
  • Let the mixture firm up in the fridge for about an hour or so. When the mixture has hardened, use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out a tablespoons worth of chocolate and place it in the shallow bowl filled with cocoa powder. Roll the truffle in the cocoa powder until it is coated evenly. When the truffle is coated evenly, use your palms to roll it into a circular shape. Repeat until the chocolate mixture runs out. Voila! That's it. The truffles will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

Notes

Adapted from Tartine
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